Turkey close to giving U.S. airspace use

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Posted 1:42PM on Wednesday, March 19, 2003

ANKARA, TURKEY - Turkey moved closer to allowing U.S. warplanes to use its airspace in a war against Iraq, but promised no immediate action on two other requests Washington has made: letting American troops onto Turkish soil and keeping its own forces out of Iraq. Cabinet spokesman Cemil Cicek said a resolution allowing airspace rights would be put before Parliament on Thursday. He made no commitment regarding U.S. ground troops, saying only that the issue could be considered later. The comments came amid renewed pressure on Turkey from Secretary of State Colin Powell, who made an urgent request for the use of Turkish airspace during a conversation with his counterpart Abdullah Gul, according to a senior Turkish official. Cicek also said the latest resolution would clear the way for allowing Turkish troops to enter Iraq if there is war. U.S. officials have said they oppose a unilateral Turkish incursion in northern Iraq, arguing that Turkish and U.S. forces could be caught in friendly fire. The Turks fear a repeat of the refugee crisis that erupted during the 1991 Gulf War, when up to 750,000 Iraqi Kurds who reached Turkey had to sleep outside in rainy, near-freezing weather for days without adequate food, water or medication. More than 1,500 Kurds died. Turkey also is concerned that once Saddam Hussein is toppled, Iraqi Kurds may declare independence - a move that could boost aspirations of Turkish Kurdish rebels who fought for autonomy in southeastern Turkey. U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with top Iraqi opposition leaders Wednesday in Ankara to discuss a post-Saddam interim administration. A joint statement after the talks said all sides agreed to maintain the territorial integrity of Iraq - a key Turkish demand. U.S. warplanes based in Europe or the United States would need to cross Turkey to strike Iraq. The United States could also use Turkish airspace to ferry troops into northern Iraq. The United States has also pressed for permission to send 62,000 soldiers to Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq. Parliament rejected the request earlier this month. With some polls showing 94 percent of the public opposed to war and strong opposition within the governing Justice and Development Party, the government has been reluctant to push through a new resolution. The United States had offered a $15 billion package of grants and loans to compensate Turkey for any losses incurred in the war. After Parliament refused to allow U.S. troops, U.S. officials said the package was off the table. But on Tuesday, Powell hinted that if the Parliament accepts a U.S. troop deployment, Washington might consider offering compensation. The Bush administration also dangled aid Wednesday. "The White House has not ruled out assistance for Turkey in this matter," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. Even so, Turkish stock markets tumbled Wednesday out of fear that the U.S. aid package was lost. The benchmark IMKB100 index dropped about 6 percent.